IROQUOIS – Residents around one Iroquois park are dealing with a problem they say is a health hazard – dog poop.
Ralph Marin spoke Tuesday night on behalf of Meadowbrook Drive residents, who want to put a stop to people putting loaded-up poop-and-scoop bags in the park’s trash can.
Marin and his neighbours want a ban on dogs in Meadowbrook Park, believing it’s a health hazard for children at the playground area.
The Iroquois resident claims some residents on neighbouring streets are even shipping dog feces over and dumping it in the garbage can at the park.
Recreation and Facilities Manager Don W. Lewis understands the residents’ frustration.
“We stopped there yesterday (Monday) in the morning and it (the garbage can) was one quarter full and there was not one piece of garbage…all dog feces,” Lewis told council.
Council discussed various options, including banning dogs from the park, but Deputy Mayor Jim Locke suggested that would be a “slippery slope.”
Planning Manager Don J.W. Lewis said they are “looking at tweaking the (bylaw) this fall” to give it more teeth, making the dumping of dog waste a chargeable offence under the Provincial Offences Act.
“It’s not the dog that’s at fault, it’s the dog owner,” Lewis added, after the suggestion of fencing the entire park.
“Looks like we’re up to our neck in it,” Coun. Archie Mellan quipped with a light chuckle from the audience.
Mayor Evonne Delegarde said every park needs to have a garbage can otherwise there’s a garbage problem.
In the end, the township decided to gets signs made to put up on the garbage cans saying “no animal waste” along with continued monitoring of the situation.
The signs should be ready in a couple weeks.
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